Champagne

[LadyCG]

If you had the choice of the following, what would you go for?

1. Veuve Clicquot NV
2. Ruinart Blanc de Blanc
3. Dom Perignon 2006
4. Krug Grand Cuvee

Serious answers only, please. Price isn't really a factor, but I wouldn't want to shell out more for something that's not necessarily better. Thanks.

[AuntPollyGrey]

Gosh your ladyship I'm so glad my fears have been assuaged, it would have bothered me all day lol!

I'm sure the sommelier at this Michelin star restaurant will advise you on an appropriate bottle.

[Rationalist]

My advice? Ask the sommelier. Be honest about your normal tastes. If you prefer £5 bottles from the supermarket, let them know.
If you can tell the difference between a Chassagne Montrachet 2000 and a Puligny Montrachet 2002, let them know.

As a couple we went to the Fat Duck a couple of years ago. I gave the waiter a budget, told them what we like and let them decide what would go best with the meal. I think we started with a glass of fizz (it was Champagne as it happens) and then had other stuff through the meal.

I did the same at a fancy resto in France a couple of weeks ago.

If you especially want a particular wine, then of course you have to select that one, and I'm sure you will enjoy the experience.

Half the pleasure is in anticipation , so do what you feel most confortable with ... and Santé

[LadyCG]

I don't wish to be "advised on an appropriate bottle".

I wish to know if DP or Krug are worth the price tag as a one-off treat for a special occasion. If you cannot answer the question because you simply don't know, having never tried any of those mentioned in the OP, why don't you simply go to a thread where your inconceivably vast knowledge would be better imparted?

[LadyCG]

Thanks for that, Rationalist. If there'd been a Puligny Montrachet on the menu, I think I would have plumped for that. Or a Meursault.

[AuntPollyGrey]

Excellent post Rationalist. Many people are reticent of asking a sommelier as they think it makes them look ignorant but often its the opposite, as some ask for a bottle purely on the label rather than the taste.

[woofgang]

deffo bedknobs. I have been poor and now am comfortably circumstanced (not rich lol) Comfortably circumstanced is better.

[woofgang]

LadyCG, I think that "worth the price tag" is always going to be subjective. Personally I never met a champagne I didn't like although some of them have become best friends! If there is one on the list that you have always wanted to try then go for it!

[AuntPollyGrey]

LadyCG I can assure you I've tried all your suggestions and my favourite is the Veuve - as I suggested in my first post. Sorry if I've hit a nerve. Even the most knowledgeable wine expert will ask a sommelier for advice.

[bednobs]

lol woofy - except i wouldnt know how to say that in french :) I never understood why new money is seen a inferior to old money anyway - anyone can inherit money!

[Old_Geezer]

I think the idea is that old money folk are brought up to understand it in a particular way, whereas new money can go to the head and one makes a spectacle of themselves not acting as per etiquette requires. Now back to the OP ;-)

[AuntPollyGrey]

Bednobs -sorry to disappoint but its not my view concerning 'nouveaux riche' I was quoting my MIL who was the French version of Hyacinth Bouquet. As far as I'm concerned I drink what I like when I like and have even been known to quaff Asti Spumante with Christmas pudding...

[jno]

you're asking for advice on taste... at that end of the market they'll all be "worth it" but that doesn't mean you'll like them all equally. But Rationalist is right: tell the sommelier what your tastes are and see what he recommends.

[AuntPollyGrey]

Oh and BTW she called me Nouveaux Riche as I once ate a pear without a knife and fork lol!

[LadyCG]

None of my nerves have been touched, APG. You seem to be on a mission today...

I'll see how I feel when I get to the restaurant I guess. Thanks to everyone for the advice and info.

[237SJ]

I like Verve. Not a fan of blanc de blancs or Krug. I was in a pub with a friend once and a man heard me joke about having a bottle of champagne so he came over with an ice bucket containing a bottle of Dom Perignon and two glasses. He poured them for us and then left. I thought he was a drug dealer and my friend reckoned he'd had a win on the horses. Anyway, it was lovely but I wouldnt pay silly money for it.

[bednobs]

why would you disappoint me? i am talking of the term, not you!

[Ellipsis]

It's not the taste, it's the experience ... if having a Dom Perignon or Krug is going to make you feel good, or it's on your bucket list, just do it.

[AuntPollyGrey]

237SJ Veuve is my favourite too. I got a bottle of DP from someone as a gift and it was disappointing, though I concede every Vintage is different. We had a blind tasting once at our wine club and DP was well down the list as was the Krug. The Ruinart was voted the best, but I find it a bit sharp for my tastes. I prefer the creamier and toastier Champagnes

[Vagus]

Whenever we do a tasting menu, we always have the wine flight too, which invariably includes a glass of fizz to greet us on arrival, and a detailed explanation from the sommelier about each wine as he brings it.
Given the amount of wine we consume over the course of the meal, we’ve never bothered with any extra.
Hope you enjoy your meal, I love tasting menus.

[Khandro]

The golden rule with all wines in restaurants is, don't order the second cheapest, you are generally better off with either the cheapest ('house wine') or the third cheapest.